Tear-strip removing tool



Sept. 11, 1956 E. J. KUBECK 2,762,523

TEAR-STRIP REMOVING TOOL Filed Aug. 10, 1953 *IZ WM E rnesf J Kubec/r INVENTOR.

tear-strips.

United States Patent TEARSTRIP REMOVING TOOL Ernest J. Kubeck, Los Angeles, Calif. Application August 10, 1953, Serial No. 373,332

2 Claims. (Cl. 220-47) The present invention relates to a hand tool primarily adapted for use in the home kitchen and elsewhere, the same being expressly designed and constructed to permit a user to aptly and satisfactorily catch hold of and re-, move a tear-strip from a cofiee can or similar food or commodity can provided with the type of tear-strip which has to be removed as a step preparatory to separating the top from the body of the can.

There are many kinds of cans on the market having Generally, one has to have a winding key which is used in a now well known manner for coiling and thus ripping out the tear-strip. The instant tool is designed to take the place of winding keys, many styles and forms of which are now available for use. An object of the invention is to provide a hand tool which may be kept in a kitchen cabinet drawer and which is always at hand and which lends itself particularly well to the job of removing the tear-strip with requisite certainty and safety to the user.

Briefly summarized, the preferred embodiment of the tool herein under consideration comprises a pair of handles or levers which are pivoted together in crossed relation and which have gripping jaws at their outer ends,

.said jaws being suitably fashioned and cooperating in a manner to permit the free end of the tear-strip to be lclamped between the jaws and allowed to slide between the jaws as the tool is progressively rocked and guided around the surface of the can for strip removing purposes.

More particularly, the invention has to do with a tool which is characterized by a primary unit having a handle with means at one end for prying the strip loose and guiding the free end thereof as the latter is progressively ripped from the body of the can, and a secondary unit carried by the primary unit, said secondary unit also having a handle, the latter provided with a strip gripping jaw cooperable with said means, and wherein said means is characterized by a fork having spaced legs terminating in laterally offset toe portions.

Novelty is also predicated on the construction stated wherein the toe portions, which are next to the can surface when in use, are longitudinally convex and thus serve as fork fulcruming rockers.

Then, too, novelty is predicated on the details of construction related above and the combination therewith of a web which connects the toe portions, the web providing a sort of anvil as well as the relatively stationary gripping jaw with which the first named jaw is cooperable as the jaws are progressively opened and closed during the step-by-step traversing movement of the tool around the body of the can.

Other objects, features and advantages will become more readily apparent from the following description and the accompanying sheet of illustrative drawings.

In the drawings, wherein like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the views:

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a fragmentary See portion of a can having a tear-strip and showing the improved too'l, its construction and mode of use;

Figure 2 is an enlarged view showing the parts of the tool in section and revealing the manner in which the free end portion of the tear-strip is guided to an out-ofthe way position during the ripping step;

Figure 3 is a bottom plan view of the tool; and

Figure 4 is a front end elevation observing the tool in a direction from left to right in the drawings.

The first or primary unit comprises a handle or lever 6 having an integral fork-shaped head or means at the outer end thereof. The fork is characterized by a pair of spaced parallel legs 8 and laterally ofiset terminal toe portions 10. It will be noticed that the surfaces of the toe portions which are opposed to the convex surface of the can are likewise convex in lengthwise directions and these surfaces constitute fulcruming and tool shifting rockers, the latter being denoted at 12. There is a web 14 integral with and located between and interconnecting these laterally offset convex toe portions. The top surface of the web is flat and provides an anvil like relatively stationary qaw. The central intermediate-portion of 'the underside of the web has an arcuate rib 16 which functions as a piloting and keying element. This rides in the slot as the latter is formed during the ripping step and assists in piloting and guiding the tool so that it will not track out of line. There is also an integral member between the legs 8 and this includes a V-shaped projecting portion which is herein described as a hold-down lug 18. It is best shown in Figure 2. It pins down and assists in holding down the free end portion 20 of the strip 22. The lug 18 is spaced from the rearward edge portion of the web and provides a guide opening or hole between itself and the web, as at 24. As shown in dotted lines the free end portion of the tear-strip is threaded and thus passes through this hole 24 and underneath of the hold-down lug 18. Thus as it is passed over the anvil 1-4 the latter serves as a stationary gripping or holding jaw. The secondary unit comprises a lever having a handle portion 26 which is movable toward and from the inner or underneath side of the handle 6. The'recess 28 provides a convenient finger grip. The intermediate portion of this secondary lever passes between the legs of the fork where it is pivoted to the legs as at 30. The left hand end portion in the drawings, denoted at 32, projects through and beyond the space of the fork where it termintes in a head 34 having teeth 36 and providing a relatively movable gripping jaw. This jaw moves in an arcuate path toward and from the stationary jaw 14. The numeral 38 designates a coil spring which is interposed between the levers and serves in an obvious manner to normally keep the jaws spaced apart or open. Thus, when one desires to operate the jaws the handles are moved toward each other thus bringing the jaws together into gripping relation so as to catch hold of the tear-strip.

By employing the tool in the manner illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 it is piloted or guided around the surface of the can in a step-by-step manner. The rockers 12 permit the toe portions 10 of the fork to be progressively rocked for feeding the tool in a step-by-step manner as the free end portion of the tear strip is dislodged. The jaws grip the strip and by using a pry bar action, the portion of the strip integral with the can is obviously ripped out. The free end portion 20 is fed back in an out-of-the-way position over the anvil through the opening 24 and underneath of the hold-down lug 18. During the rocking and ripping step the lug serves to keep the free end 20 from slipping out of place.

Some persons have been known to use pliers to attempt to remove a tear-strip but no provision being made for the progressively loosened free end of the strip, it becomes, obviously, a dangerous operation. However, the pliers-like tool herein-:revealed does the job satisiactorily and, it is believed, will meet the requirements of manufacturers and needs of users.

-;From the foregoing, the construction and operation of thedevice will be readily understood and-further ex- .planation is believed to be unnecessary. However, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the appended claims.

Whatis claimed as new is as follows: l. A tear-strip clamping, ripping and removing tool comprisinga primary unit embodying a handle having a fork-shaped head at one end, embodying spaced parallel legs, the outer ends of said legs terminating in laterally offset toe portions, the corresponding surfaces of the respective toe portions which, in use, are placed against and moved along the surface of the can being longitudinally convex-and constituting fork fulcruming rockers, said rockers being adapted to shiftably ride" around the can asthe tool is hand-moved in the required step-by- ,step manner, a web rigidly mounted between the leading ends of said toe portions, a surface of said web being flat space between the legs and spaced from an adjacent edge 7 of said web and providing a guide opening between itself and said web, said guide opening adapted to accommodate and permit the passage of the free end of the tear strip as-the latter is progressively ripped loose from the'can, and a second unit comprising a lever having a handle opposed to and movable toward and from the first named handle, and having a portion located between said' legs and pivoted to the legs and a further portion projecting through and beyond said legs and terminating in a head, said head having a jaw which is opposed to and movable toward and from said first named jaw, said lever being pivoted to the legs in a position spaced inwardly from said hold-down lug, and a coil spring interposed between the respective handles and serving to normally spread the respective jaws apart.

2. A tear-strip clamping and removing tool comprising a primaryslever .unit-.embodyinga'handleihaving a forkshaped head at one end embodying spaced parallel legs having terminal laterally ofiset toe portions, said toe portions having lengthwise .convex :surfaces iproviding rockers adapted to ride around the usual convex surface of the can as the 'tool is hand-moved in a required step-by-step manner, a web connecting the leading ends of the toe portions and providing a stationary jaw, said jaw being provided on its underside with a lengthwise piloting rib, said rib beingcentered and aligned with the space midway between said legs, parallel to said legs and adapted to track in the slot which comes into being vas the tear-strip is ripped loose, a V-shaped hold-down lug fixed-between the legs, projecting laterallybeyond adjacent lengthwise edges of said legs and wholly spaced from .an adjacent edge of the web and providing an 'unobstructed guide opening between itself and said web,

and a second unit comprising aspring pressed leverhaving a handle opposed to and swingable toward and from .said first named handle and ,pressed by said spring to a position spaced from said first named handle, the intermediate portion of said lever being pivotally mounted between the intermediate portions of said legs and the remaining end portion projecting through and beyond said legs and terminating in ahead-having a jaw which is opposed to and swingable toward and from said first named jaw, and the pivotally mounted portion being situated between the crotch portion of said fork and said hold-down lug.

References Cited :in the fileof this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 491,393 Watkins et al. Feb. I, 1893 601,070 Bedford Mar. '22, 1898 933,442 Hastings .Sept. 7, 1909 

